


Of Brotherly Chats and Pretty Postcards

by accio_outstandings



Series: Albus Potter and the Collection of Oneshots [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: I love James/Albus friendship, James Grew Up And Isn't Such A Twat, James is Helpful, James is Nice, M/M, it's so cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 01:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9101134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_outstandings/pseuds/accio_outstandings
Summary: Albus Severus Potter is struggling with a new realization - he's head over heels for his best mate, Scorpius Malfoy. After an unsuccessful attempt to staunch these growing feelings with family friend Lorcan Scamander, he is forced to accept that his bookish best friend is the one for him. Not that Scorpius would ever return those feelings, right? And that's where his brother comes in with rare words of wisdom.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My second ever finished fanfic! This is sort of a sequel to my first published work I guess (: I would love to hear any feedback you're willing to give!

Albus Potter had once again found himself at the muggle playground, specifically on the swing. A year had passed since he’d sat in this precise spot and began to repair the hole separating him and his father, a hole that had now become all but slightly uneven and unskilled stitching. He scuffed his shoes in the dirt, for old times sake, and let out a long sigh. 

A multitude of 'things' had changed since his fourth year, and surprisingly the changes were mostly of the good kind, something that had shocked Albus initially. After a summer of intense training and begging from his father and Scorpius he had agreed to try out as Slytherin seeker, a decision teeming with benefits for the lonely Potter and his bookish best friend. He first realized the term ‘friends’ could be used for his new band of acquaintances when arriving back on Platform 9 and ¾ after Christmas Holidays in his fifth year. Amazingly, he’d had people other than Scorpius that now greeted him, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Albus’ parents who pretended not to have tears in their eyes when bidding him goodbye. 

Another noticeable change: Albus was happy, happier than he’d been in his first four years at Hogwarts combined, even with the memories of his shenanigans with Scorpius to warm his heart. This too didn’t go unnoticed by those who cared for Albus. His thin frame filled out as he focused more on health rather than just how to get through another day, and despite his recurring slips every so often, he always had a hand to pull him back up. The shadows under his eyes had faded and the perpetual crease between his eyebrows had all but disappeared.

Then there was the third… thing, that had changed. Albus leaned forward and hugged his knees, squishing himself into a ball and closing his eyes hard. Within his chest, his heart thumped wildly as his thoughts focused in on one person in particular. Scorpius. Just the thought of his name set off the butterflies in Albus’ stomach. He’d never experienced anything akin to this, not even when he thought he’d developed a crush on the pretty Ravenclaw, Laura Bogdanow. Those childish stirrings of feelings had nothing on the wildfire that scorched his bloodstream whenever careless touches between the two occurred, even worse were the hugs that sent Albus' heart racing. 

Albus stayed like that for a long time, his knees crushing the breath from his chest and his mind wandering dangerously, the blank canvas of his eyelids painted with Scorpius, his light blonde hair, the slight smattering of freckles one could only see very close up, the curve of his mouth and his long slender fingers, a pretty picture that Albus forgot he wasn’t allowed to indulge in. 

He didn’t raise his head as he heard footsteps approaching. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, lest he lose the exact shade of gray of Scorpius’ eyes or the fine lines of his bone structure. “Go away,” he mumbled, making shooing motions.

“You’re brooding.” Albus’ head whipped up so fast he nearly did hurt his neck. Rubbing the back of it despite the lack of pain, he fixed his brother with a wary look. He received a laugh in return. 

“I am not,” he countered, rolling his shoulders back to sit up straight.

“I could see it from miles away, Al,” James Sirius Potter replied, sitting on the swing beside his younger brother and turning to face him. He had grown up in the year past, a recent graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Stubble grew across his finely boned jaw, his normally unruly dark auburn hair was cut short and a sense of maturity seemed to have taken hold of the used-to-be prankster. This was yet another change in Albus’ life; an older brother with whom he could engage in conversations alike to this one. Yet, despite the progress they had made with their relationship, Albus remained quiet and stared determinedly at the ground. 

“So it’s going to be a guessing game then?” His brother said after a moment of silence, his voice light, careful not to adopt his old remissive tone. “Well, I know you received seven owls so that can’t be the problem, if it weren’t for your horrible Keeper you would have won the Quidditch final for Slytherin, no one blames you for that,” Albus recalled the fleeting moment of victory as he enclosed the struggling snitch within his fingers, unaware that his keeper’s mind had wandered, allowing a last minute goal from Gryffindor to win them the Quidditch Cup. “Grades, sport, everything is fine at home…. That leaves, friends. Probably, certain types of friends?” he suggested, “Perhaps friends you wish weren’t just friends?”

Albus groaned in response, “How are you so good at this guessing game?” 

“I’m not really, it’s the expression on your face.” James sun, swinging back and forwards lightly. “Believe me, every fifteen-year-old kid has worn that expression, including myself,” he paused and looked dramatically into the distance, “Ah, Carissa Anastos, the one that got away.”

“Didn’t you break up with her?”

“Well, yeah, but she got away technically, didn’t she?”

The two Potter siblings dissolved into laughter at the memory of the Greek witch storming away from the elder, furious once again that James had fallen back into his prankster lifestyle. She saw this as a distraction from his Quidditch Captain duties, a distraction (for James agreed on this point) he greeted warmly after a muddy practice. He promptly told her to ‘sod off’ drunkenly one night after she attempted to stop the Gryffindor party at the early hour of 10 pm to which she took as a break up - effective immediately. It had been hilarious. 

The laughter turned to quiet after a matter of moments. Albus refrained from sinking into to his previous brooding state as James attempted to string together the right words. 

“So are you going to tell me who it is?”

“No.” 

“So we’re reverting to the guessing game?”

“Good luck.”  
The sun began to sink below the horizon as the two sat in relative silence. Albus waited with bated breath as his older brother fidgeted beside him. Soon, he too was fidgeting and the two collapsed into a state of unease. His movement stopped altogether as his brother opened his mouth after what felt like hours. 

“It’s Scorpius isn’t it?”

Albus sputtered indignantly, struggling to form words, to throw together a coherent sentence. After a moment or two, he simply reverted to gaping rather unattractively.

“I hope you don’t pull that face around Scorpius.” James teased, nudging his younger brother conspiratorially. 

“I- How- What- How could you thin- I would nev- What?” 

“Al, please don’t insult my intelligence,” James replied, “I know of your little rendezvous with Lorcan last year, and even before that,” he nudged his brother again, “a brother knows things Al!” he exclaimed triumphantly, swinging backward and forward as Albus continued to struggle. 

His brother knew about Lorcan? He thought back to the frenzied, messy kissing, the feeling of Lorcan’s wavy blonde locks between his fingers along with the clumsy groping, and his face began to burn. “Fine.” he stated, looking up into the hazel eyes of his brother, “You know I like guys, but how do you know it’s Scorpius I fancy I mean-” he attempted to play it cool, trying to ignore the frantic beating of his heart, “Why would I fancy Scor? We’re friends, best friends!-”

“Best friends who spend every waking moment together?” James asked dryly, “Best friends who shared a bed during sleepovers until they were fifteen and I decided to open my big mouth?” he paused, allowing Albus to collect himself, “Best friends who look at each other with the same soppy expression as mum and dad? Best friends, definitely. But there’s also definitely something more there.” he announced, “And he feels the same way!”

Albus felt his resolve crumble, the hardness in his jaw disappeared and for the first time, he allowed himself to feel something he clumsily identified as hope. “You- you’re- you think so?” he asked quietly. 

His brother sat down in the dirt before him, “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.” he said levelly, looking him directly in the eye. “In fact, I think Scorp is besotted with you, just as you are with him. By the way, I have something for you.” he produced a crumpled letter from his back pocket. Albus took it at once, recognizing the Malfoy seal. 

“It’s from Scorpius,” he blurted out. 

“Well his dad wouldn’t be writing to you now would he?” James said, standing and dusting himself off. “Dinner will be ready soon,” he clapped his brother on the back before making to head off. Albus’ hand shot out to grab his brother's wrist after a brief moment of hesitation. 

“James,” he hesitated for a moment as his pride flared briefly in his stomach before deflating indefinitely, “thanks, for you know… being my big brother.”

“Anytime, Al,” he smiled in a gentle way Albus had scarcely seen since he was nine years old, before turning and making his way down the path, toward home. 

Albus remained still for a moment, his eyes tracing over Scorpius’ curly writing, the way he crossed the ‘f’ in Malfoy, the ‘t’s in Albus’ surname. Blood roared in his ears as he fumbled to open the letter. He tossed the envelope aside, took a deep breath, and unfolded the note. 

Dear Al, 

Hi! It’s Scorpius if you hadn’t already guessed! But surely the Malfoy seal was a giveaway!

I have to say, Greece is making my geekiness a-quiver! Dad and I are sailing around the Aegean Sea as I write this! The view is spectacular, I know even you would crack a smile. The sea is as blue as I’ve ever seen, there isn’t a cloud in the sky and the sunsets, Albus! 

Another piece of exciting news: I’ve been talking to Dad about that muggle technology you use. An iPhone I think it was called? He’s still very unsure about the whole ‘muggle technology’ craze, and I’m afraid I’m the same. So many muggles seem attached to them, they’re missing out on most of the cruise! But, if they allow you and I to communicate faster, then I’m up for it! 

There are a few too many exclamation points I think, but I must admit I find them necessary. I’ve enclosed some photos from the trip, write back quickly! We’re stopping over in Athens in a few days time, and maybe there I can convince dad to get me the ‘iPhone’. 

Your friend,  
(Best friend),  
Scorpius Malfoy  
(or better known as… Malfoy the Unanxious! Or better yet, Malfoy the Magnificent!) 

Albus slipped his hand back into the envelope, his mind swimming with exclamations, ‘you and I’, and his best friend, Malfoy the Magnificent. He withdrew the photos and his breath caught. 

His best friend hadn’t remained unchanged by Greece’s sun. But it was more than the healthy tan he now sported that took Albus’ breath away, he seemed to have swapped his pointed chin and otherwise soft features for an angular jaw, high cheekbones, and messy hair. He stood on a beach, soft white sand caked on his feet and up his legs, his grin was bright and wide. He had traded his robes in for simple muggle attire, but board shorts and a plain shirt didn’t entirely erase the bookish, nerdy look about him. It had been a month and Albus ached to once more be in the company of his best friend. 

Then he noticed the picture clamped in Scorpius’ outstretched hand. He squinted and let out an exclamation of surprise. It was his, Albus', upper body, a photo snapped early in their fifth year, a time in which Scorpius had attempted photography. He, Albus, was waving begrudgingly out of the photo, a hint of a smile on his features. With trembling hands and a spluttering heart, he turned the photo over. 

I thought this might cheer you up :) I miss you terribly,  
Scorpius 

Albus' heart swelled in his chest and for the second time that evening, he allowed hope to flare inside him. It filled him with warmth, happiness and a strange feeling he thought might be optimism.


End file.
